Chinese Idiom: 风烛残年 (Feng Zhu Can Nian)
English Translation: Twilight of One’s Life
pīn yīn: fēng zhú cán nián
Idiom Meaning: The twilight of one’s life; describing an elderly person whose remaining years are few.
Historical Source:
- From the ancient poem 怨诗行 (Yuan Shi Xing): “百年未几时，奄若风中烛。” (A hundred years are but a few moments, fleeting like a candle in the wind).
- From Wang Xizhi’s note on Wei Fu Ren’s Calligraphy: “时年五十有三，或恐风烛奄及，聊遗教于子孙耳。” (At the age of fifty-three, fearing that the candle of my life may soon extinguish, I leave my teachings to my descendants).
Idiom Story
During the Yuan Dynasty, there was a story about Liu Yin, a native of Rongcheng (now Rongcheng County, Hebei). Liu Yin lost his father when he was young and later served as a Right Assistant Minister in the imperial court. However, when his mother fell ill, he resigned from his official position to care for her. After his mother recovered, the court invited him back to his post, but Liu Yin declined the offer, explaining that his mother, at ninety years old, was like a candle flickering in the wind. He felt that he could not leave her behind in pursuit of temporary wealth and honor.
The expression “风烛残年” (fēng zhú cán nián) captures the image of a flickering candle in the wind, symbolizing the frailty of old age and the inevitability of life’s end. This idiom is used to reflect on the elderly and their limited time left, highlighting the significance of cherishing and respecting their remaining years.
